6th October, 2016
The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, on Thursday, advised Muslim students to imbibe the tenets of Islamic principles in order to live a rewarding life.
Oluboyo gave the advice at the fifth Annual Symposium of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Federal University of Technology, Akure branch.
The deputy governor, who was represented by Alhaji Aminu Arowolo, Special Assistant to the State Governor on Political Matters, said that Muslims students should participate in active politics to turn their society around for the better.
He also charged them to be law-abiding, security conscious and avoid acts forbidden by Allah in the Quran.
Oluboyo charged the students to pray for Nigeria to scale through its current economic and social challenges.
The theme of the symposium is: “Social Security and Responsibility of Muslims in the Society’’.
Also speaking, Mr Muhammad-Jameel Muhammad, the National President of MSSN, said the symposium afforded the Muslim students the opportunity to gather and exchange ideas on how to make the society secure and peaceful.
Muhammad said that Muslim students were indispensable in ensuring societal ideals of morality, mutual assistance, respect and compassion for the poor.
According to him, MSSN has been an unrepentant proponent and vanguard of social security and social responsibility.
He appealed to the participants to articulate plausible views that are capable of making Nigeria and Africa more socially secure and responsive.
Dr Abideen Olaiya of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and Mr Nurudeen Azunogie of University of Benin spoke on “Social Security and Responsibility: Mutual Catalyst for National Development’’ and “Social Security and Responsibility: Wither the Muslims”, respectively.
They both admonished Muslims to make positive impact on their respective environment through good conduct and character.
According to them, man cannot live in isolation of his environment.
They, therefore, urged Muslims to rise and impact the nation meaningfully with the good tenets of Islam.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Jamiu Ekungba, challenged the MSSN to rise beyond rhetoric’s and take practical steps toward achieving what they had been taught.
Ekungba, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urged the students to take power through political process, advising them to start with student unionism.
According to him, if they are not involved, the political scene will be occupied by “miscreants and rogues”.